Sherif Morgan

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Archives for August 2009

What is your Time Perspective?

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I recently watched Dr. Philip Zimbardo‘s (for more info, visit his Wikipedia page) video on TED.com about time perspective. According to Dr. Zimbardo, the academic definition of “time perspective” is:

the study of how individuals divide the flow of human experiences into time frames or time zones automatically and non-consciously.

There are 3 main categories of time perspective: past (decisions made based on past experiences), present (decisions are made to satisfy need/want now), future (cost-benefit analysis to make decisions today in anticipation of future benefits).

To illustrate the concept, Dr. Zimbardo used a famous study, where the experimenter told a 4-year old that he/she can have the marshemoellow in front on him/her now, or if he/she waited for 5-10 minutes, he/she would have two. 2/3 of the children opted to eat the marshemoellow now, while 1/3 decided to wait.

The 2/3 would be defined as “present time perspective”, because they decided to satisfy their wants/needs now. The 1/3 who waites are defined as “future time perspective”, because they decided to “delay gratification” for future “success”.

How can “time perspective” help you succeed?

The key to success is to exhibit a balance between past, present, and future time perspectives. Ideally, we would rely on positive past experiences, the energy and opportunities of the present, and tomorrow’s goals to help make the decision that propel us toward success.

It is crucial to understand your time perspective, because, as the definition above states, it will non-consciously affect the decisions you make today. In your next thinking time, take a few minutes to evaluate how your time perspectives affect your decisions.

Even if your profile of time perspective does not favor success, consciously, you can train yourself to make decisions based on a time perspective that will help you reach your future goals.

Is success a continuous journey?

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Success, of course, is a multi-step process.

It starts with an idea, purpose, or passion. Developed by hard work. Nurtured by dedication and persistence. Refined by failures. And sustained by focus and continued passion.

But what happens next? How long do you become “successful”? Does the novelty wear off?

Well… it could. Even if you were incredibly successful, but remained stagnant, eventually, your success and passion may die down. In my opinion, this is precisely why the phrase “success is a continuous journey” was coined.

What does this mean, exactly? To me, it means that I need to build upon my success. It means that I need to take advantage of my success today to generate a new idea, purpose, or passion… which marks the beginning of my journey for tomorrow’s success.

Here is to continued success!

Are you thinking?

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Thinking For A Change is a great book by one of my favorite leadership authors, John Maxwell. The title of the book alone makes a couple of points:

  1. most people do not really spend time to think, and they should do so for a change, and
  2. if an individual desires change in his/her life, then it must start by making a conscious effort and thinking up a plan.

Surely, you’ve heard someone contemplate,

How did I get here? This was definitely not part of the plan.

Unfortunately, most of us have said or thought this at some point in our lives, because life tends to throw surprises our way, and often times, we get distracted with them. Thus, it is crucial to examine and evaluate the direction we’re heading on a regular basis.

Personally, I try to “think” for an hour each couple of weeks. Here is what I do:

  1. Find a quiet spot, relax, and clear my mind
  2. Start thinking about my experiences, my dreams, my plans, etc
  3. Identify obstacles that get in the way, things I struggle with, etc.
  4. Generate solutions, ways around obstacles, and come up with specific action steps.
  5. I make sure I have a notepad to jot down some notes.

With a hundred other things on the to-do list, it may be difficult to regularly dedicate time to “think”. However, this rapid pace of life is exactly why it is crucial to slow down and make sure you’re still heading in the path you desire for yourself.

Try it… you will be amazed by how enjoyable and rewarding thinking can be. As it becomes a habit, you will start craving and looking forward to your thinking time.